Confessions of a Bibliophilehttp://www.bookconfessions.com
Book Reviews and a Little More...Thu, 22 Nov 2018 22:17:59 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.92018: #12 – A Hundred Thousand Worlds (Bob Proehl)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bookconfessions/~3/niIzyDbFiEo/
http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/11/2018-12-a-hundred-thousand-worlds-bob-proehl/#respondThu, 22 Nov 2018 22:17:59 +0000http://www.bookconfessions.com/?p=6381<img width="199" height="300" src="http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/hundredthousand-199x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/hundredthousand-199x300.jpg 199w, http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/hundredthousand.jpg 331w" sizes="(max-width: 199px) 100vw, 199px" />I wasn&#8217;t really sure how to categorize this book. On its face it looks like it&#8217;s going to be science fiction, but other than the settings primarily being science fiction conventions, it&#8217;s really not science fiction at all. What this is is the story of Val Torrey and her son Alex. Val used to be one of the leads on a very popular science fictionA Hundred Thousand Worlds by Bob ProehlPublished byViking on June 28, 2016 Genres:literary fictionPages: 368

Valerie Torrey took her son Alex and fled Los Angeles six years ago—leaving both her role on a cult sci-fi TV show and her costar husband after a tragedy blew their small family apart. Now Val must reunite nine-year-old Alex with his estranged father, so they set out on a road trip from New York, Val making appearances at comic book conventions along the way.

As they travel west, encountering superheroes, monsters, time travelers, and robots, Val and Alex are drawn into the orbit of the comic-con regulars, from a hapless twentysomething illustrator to a lesbian comics writer to a group of cosplay women who provide a chorus of knowing commentary. For Alex, this world is a magical place where fiction becomes reality, but as they get closer to their destination, he begins to realize that the story his mother is telling him about their journey might have a very different ending than he imagined.

A literary-meets-genre pleasure from an exciting new writer, A Hundred Thousand Worlds is a tribute to the fierce and complicated love between a mother and son—and to the way the stories we create come to shape us.

I wasn’t really sure how to categorize this book. On its face it looks like it’s going to be science fiction, but other than the settings primarily being science fiction conventions, it’s really not science fiction at all.

What this is is the story of Val Torrey and her son Alex. Val used to be one of the leads on a very popular science fiction show (think Gillian Anderson on X-files), but has spent the last few years on the down-low, acting in plays in New York and raising her 9 year old son, Alex. Alex’s father, the other lead on that show, has been out of the picture, but now he is jumping back in and this means that Val needs to deliver her son to the other side of the country. She stretches out this journey that she doesn’t want to make by agreeing to appear at a number of science fiction conventions along the way.

As the two of them travel from place to place, they befriend others on the convention circuit, mostly various comic artists. These artists lend some other perspectives to the story and to the comics industry as a whole, but they really aren’t important in the long run. Except maybe Brett, an independent artist who ends up drawing a comic for a story Alex is creating. He serves as support for Alex as his mother falls further into despair the closer they get to California.

The actual plot of the book is interspersed with episodes of Val’s TV show, told to Alex by Val as his favorite bedtime stories as they reveal pieces of her/their past to the reader. Those were okay, but there are some other fantastical interludes that I could have done without. I also didn’t really find her custody situation believable, but am allowing for some creative license there.

Overall I enjoyed this book. Don’t let the science fiction feel of it scare you off.

Other reviews:

“I have to say it was a bit slow going at first; but about halfway through I realized I was invested in each story and wanted to see where they lead.” – Bookalicious Babe Book Reviews

“Alex might be the sweetest kid who ever lived, which makes his character difficult to believe. Much of the story is a family drama, but it generates little dramatic tension. Notwithstanding those observations, I was consistently entertained by A Hundred Thousand Worlds.” – Tzer Island

]]>http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/11/2018-12-a-hundred-thousand-worlds-bob-proehl/feed/0http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/11/2018-12-a-hundred-thousand-worlds-bob-proehl/2018: #11 – Dark Heart (Kevin Flynn & Rebecca Lavoie)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bookconfessions/~3/Jk_7qcWNgKo/
http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/11/2018-11-dark-heart-kevin-flynn-rebecca-lavoie/#respondTue, 20 Nov 2018 22:08:50 +0000http://www.bookconfessions.com/?p=6377<img width="170" height="300" src="http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/darkheart-170x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="Dark Heart by Kevin Flynn &amp; Rebecca Lavoie" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/darkheart-170x300.jpg 170w, http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/darkheart.jpg 283w" sizes="(max-width: 170px) 100vw, 170px" />I picked this up because I am a fan of Flynn and Lavoie&#8217;s podcast Crime Writers On, and I wasn&#8217;t disappointed. This is the true story of a couple of young adults in New Hampshire and the awful crime they committed. Kat McDonough was 17, loved drama (as in acting), and, like many 17 year olds, was angry with her parents. This made her theDark Heart: A True Story of Sex, Manipulation, and Murder by Kevin Flynn, Rebecca LavoiePublished byBerkley on March 1, 2016 Genres:true crimePages: 368

Was murder part of the game?

Seventeen-year-old Kat McDonough grew up with theater in her blood—and a penchant for make-believe. More than a decade older, Seth Mazzaglia was well known in the community theater circle of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He, too, had a rich inner life—and he soon had Kat convinced that they were soul mates. To intensify their bond, Seth lured Kat into a world of violent sex and role-playing, where she was his slave. But even that wasn’t enough to satisfy his ravenous appetites. Enter Lizzi Marriott, the new girl in town. And when she accepts an invitation to Kat and Seth’s apartment, she will never be seen again...

I picked this up because I am a fan of Flynn and Lavoie’s podcast Crime Writers On, and I wasn’t disappointed. This is the true story of a couple of young adults in New Hampshire and the awful crime they committed.

Kat McDonough was 17, loved drama (as in acting), and, like many 17 year olds, was angry with her parents. This made her the perfect target for the much older Seth Mazzaglia. Seth lived in a rich fantasy world with BDSM tendancies, and in Kat he found someone he could mold and control.

The book tells the story of both Kat and Seth, their backgrounds, how they met, and how their relationship progressed until it climaxed in tragedy. It’s an interesting story about the potentially dark world of BDSM (don’t get me wrong, most people who practice BDSM don’t act like Seth) and a young girl who felt trapped and got herself in way too deep.

I liked the book and the audiobook was a decent production. I do wish they had fast forwarded through their early relationship a bit, but I understand the need to show how Kat got pulled in so far and so quickly. This was a pretty good true crime read.

]]>http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/11/2018-11-dark-heart-kevin-flynn-rebecca-lavoie/feed/0http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/11/2018-11-dark-heart-kevin-flynn-rebecca-lavoie/2018: #10 – This is Not My Beautiful Life (Victoria Fedden)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bookconfessions/~3/vDvvUoayy4Q/
http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/11/2018-10-this-is-not-my-beautiful-life-victoria-fedden/#respondSun, 18 Nov 2018 22:02:05 +0000http://www.bookconfessions.com/?p=6373<img width="200" height="300" src="http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/beautifullife-200x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="This is Not My Beautiful Life by Victoria Fedden" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/beautifullife-200x300.jpg 200w, http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/beautifullife.jpg 333w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" />This book is touted as a hilarious, wacky story, but mostly I found it sad. Frankly, Victoria is surrounded by terrible people, with maybe the exception of her sister. And I don&#8217;t think they&#8217;re terrible because they are committing crimes, they are terrible all on their own. The best parts of the book are when she is talking about motherhood and her daughter, and myThis Is Not My Beautiful Life: A Memoir by Victoria FeddenPublished byPicador on June 7, 2016 Genres:memoirPages: 336

If you think it sucks to live with your parents when you're thirty-six and nine months pregnant, just wait til the DEA comes knocking (with the IRS in tow): Welcome to Victoria Fedden's life.

When a squad of federal agents burst through her parents’ front door, Victoria Fedden felt ill-prepared to meet them: She was weeks away from her due date and her T-shirt wasn’t long enough to hide her maternity undies. As for the question of how to raise a child when you’ve just discovered that your mother and stepfather have allegedly masterminded a pump-and-dump scheme? She was pretty sure that wasn’t covered in What to Expect When You’re Expecting—and she really hoped that Bradford Cohen, the noted criminal defense attorney who famously waived his exemption on The Apprentice, would prove them innocent.

This Is Not My Beautiful Life is the story of how Victoria lost her parents to prison and nearly lost her mind. No one ever said motherhood would be easy, but as she struggles to change diapers, install car seats, and find the right drop-off line at pre-school—no easy task, when each one is named for a stage in the lifecycle of a f*cking butterfly—she’s also forced to ask herself whether a jump-suit might actually complement her mom’s platinum-blonde extensions and fend off the cast of shady, stranger-than-fiction characters (like the recovering addict who scored a reality show when he started an escort service for women) who populated her parents’ world.

A real-life Arrested Development that could only unfold in southern Florida, This Is Not My Beautiful Life is a hilariously funny and unexpectedly moving memoir of a just-functional family you’ll never forget.

This book is touted as a hilarious, wacky story, but mostly I found it sad. Frankly, Victoria is surrounded by terrible people, with maybe the exception of her sister. And I don’t think they’re terrible because they are committing crimes, they are terrible all on their own. The best parts of the book are when she is talking about motherhood and her daughter, and my heart hurt as she suffered through post-partum depression with no help or realization that she could get help. The book does deliver on “wackiness”, but you really should only read it if you can handle reading about a bunch of narcissists without wanting to throw things.

Other reviews:

“With her parents paying for her extravagant lifestyle, it seemed as if Fedden was more sorry to be losing her things than what her family did to others, and she put her family before her marriage and then wondered why her husband was upset.” – 125 Pages

]]>http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/11/2018-10-this-is-not-my-beautiful-life-victoria-fedden/feed/0http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/11/2018-10-this-is-not-my-beautiful-life-victoria-fedden/2018: #9 – The Ice Princess (Camilla Läckberg)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bookconfessions/~3/ybIxlM68l7w/
http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/11/2018-9-the-ice-princess-camilla-lackberg/#respondFri, 16 Nov 2018 21:45:49 +0000http://www.bookconfessions.com/?p=6369<img width="200" height="300" src="http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/iceprincess-200x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/iceprincess-200x300.jpg 200w, http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/iceprincess.jpg 333w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" />This is the first of Läckberg&#8217;s books that I&#8217;ve read, but I&#8217;ve been a fan of other &#8220;nordic noir&#8221; authors. Biographer Erika Falck has found herself back in her childhood home in a small Swedish town after the unexpected death of both her parents. One morning, just up the road, Erika finds the body of Alex Wijkner in her bathtub. Alex had been Erika&#8217;s bestThe Ice Princess by Camilla LäckbergSeries:Patrik Hedstrom #01Published byPegasus on June 15, 2010 Genres:police proceduralPages: 393

Returning to her hometown of Fjallbacka after the funeral of her parents, writer Erica Falck finds a community on the brink of tragedy. The death of her childhood friend, Alex, is just the beginning. Her wrists slashed, her body frozen in an ice-cold bath, it seems that she has taken her own life.
Erica conceives a book about the beautiful but remote Alex, one that will answer questions about their own shared past. While her interest grows into an obsession, local detective Patrik Hedstrom is following his own suspicions about the case. But it is only when they start working together that the truth begins to emerge about a small town with a deeply disturbing past.

This is the first of Läckberg’s books that I’ve read, but I’ve been a fan of other “nordic noir” authors.

Biographer Erika Falck has found herself back in her childhood home in a small Swedish town after the unexpected death of both her parents. One morning, just up the road, Erika finds the body of Alex Wijkner in her bathtub. Alex had been Erika’s best childhood friend until she mysteriously and suddenly moved away. Despite their long absence, Erika just doesn’t believe that her death is the suicide it appears to be. She gets herself caught up in the story and with Alex’s grieving family, and feels pulled to write a book about Alex.

Detective Patrik Hedstrom also has his suspicions about Alex’s death, mostly centering around a local artist with a reputation for being a hopeless drunk. When he finds out Erika has a connection to Alex’s family, he pulls her into his investigation as well. And it doesn’t hurt that he’s getting a chance to be close to his schoolboy crush.

This is a twisty turny story with a number of red herrings that doesn’t end up anywhere close to where I expected it to in the beginning. I think this was a solid start to the series, and I intend to read more.

“It is one of those crime novels that not only has a mystery, and indeed a rather grim and horrendous one, at its heart but also looks at the way a murder affects the characters and the place around it with multiple layers and facets.” – Savidge Reads

“Importantly, The Ice Princess contains what I love most about Nordic Noir – that cold and moody atmosphere that only Scandinavian crime fiction can deliver, although it didn’t come through as strong as I would have liked but I’m obsessed with this atmosphere so it may please those that aren’t planning life goals to visit all these countries!” – Keeper of Pages

]]>http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/11/2018-9-the-ice-princess-camilla-lackberg/feed/0http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/11/2018-9-the-ice-princess-camilla-lackberg/2018: #8 – Stay Close (Harlan Coben)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bookconfessions/~3/CGlTVUi3buI/
http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/11/2018-8-stay-close-harlan-coben/#respondWed, 14 Nov 2018 21:36:06 +0000http://www.bookconfessions.com/?p=6365<img width="170" height="300" src="http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/stayclose-170x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="Stay Close by Harlan Coben" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/stayclose-170x300.jpg 170w, http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/stayclose.jpg 283w" sizes="(max-width: 170px) 100vw, 170px" />This was a decent Coben stand-alone, but in my opinion, far from his best.&#160; Megan is a run-of-the-mill so, ccer mom in suburban New Jersey, except she has a secret. She used to be a stripper, and for years, she&#8217;s been on the run from a terrible event in her past. Except history is repeating itself and the urge to return to her past lifeStay Close by Harlan CobenPublished byDutton on February 12, 2013 Genres:suspense thrillerPages: 446 Also by this author:Play Dead

The past never truly fades away.…

Megan is a suburban soccer mom who once upon a time walked on the wild side. Ray used to be a talented documentary photographer, but now he finds himself in a dead-end job posing as paparazzo. Broome is a detective who can’t let go of a cold case.

Three people living lives they never wanted are hiding secrets that even those closest to them would never suspect. And as each confronts the dark side of the American dream—the boredom of a nice suburban life, the excitement of temptation, the desperation and hunger that can lurk behind even the prettiest facades—they will discover the hard truth that the line between one kind of life and another can be as whisper thin as a heartbeat.

This was a decent Coben stand-alone, but in my opinion, far from his best.

Megan is a run-of-the-mill so, ccer mom in suburban New Jersey, except she has a secret. She used to be a stripper, and for years, she’s been on the run from a terrible event in her past. Except history is repeating itself and the urge to return to her past life is getting stronger.

Basically, men who are treating women badly are turning up dead, and the prime suspect is Megan’s ex-boyfriend, a once-successful photographer who has now lowered himself to being hired as fake paparazzi. There are several twists and turns, and while I found the final resolution satisfying, there was something missing in the journey.

I think I just didn’t connect that well to Megan. She claims to love her family (a husband and two children), but you don’t really see it or feel it much. She seems to long for the excitement and lack of stability she used to have as opposed to the secure and fortunate life she currently has, and I couldn’t relate. So if you’ve never read Coben, this probably isn’t the place to start. Pick up Tell No One or The Woods instead.

Other reviews:

“Every time I thought I knew exactly where the plot was going and how it would end up, Mr. Coben told me no way and threw in a new plot twist that made perfect sense when he did it.” – My Reading Room

“I was intrigued enough to want to reach the conclusion, and was a bit surprised by the twist at the end, but I just didn’t care all that much about what took place, or even the proverbial ‘whodunit.'” – Seth Saith

“His conversational tone throughout makes the book feel like light reading, but his hooks, twists and chapter-closing cliff hangers keep you turning the pages.” – Crime Fiction Lover

]]>http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/11/2018-8-stay-close-harlan-coben/feed/0http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/11/2018-8-stay-close-harlan-coben/2018: #7 – Blue Monday (Nicci French)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bookconfessions/~3/0h2Xbl_682Y/
http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/10/2018-7-blue-monday-nicci-french/#respondSun, 14 Oct 2018 12:52:53 +0000http://www.bookconfessions.com/?p=6362<img width="199" height="300" src="http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/bluemonday-199x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/bluemonday-199x300.jpg 199w, http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/bluemonday.jpg 230w" sizes="(max-width: 199px) 100vw, 199px" />This book is the first in the Frieda Klein series. Frieda is a psychotherapist with a very private life. In London, everyone is concerned with the case of a missing five-year old boy, a case that may have a connection to a similar abduction 22 years earlier. Freda starts to suspect that one of her patients, a man who has been having dreams about havingBlue Monday by Nicci FrenchSeries:Frieda Klein #01Published byPamela Dorman Books on March 1, 2012 Genres:psychological thrillerPages: 322 Also by this author:Complicit

The stunning first book in a new series of psychological thrillers introducing an unforgettable London psychotherapist Frieda Klein is a solitary, incisive psychotherapist who spends her sleepless nights walking along the ancient rivers that have been forced underground in modern London. She believes that the world is a messy, uncontrollable place, but what we can control is what is inside our heads. This attitude is reflected in her own life, which is an austere one of refuge, personal integrity, and order.

The abduction of five-year-old Matthew Farraday provokes a national outcry and a desperate police hunt. And when his face is splashed over the newspapers, Frieda cannot ignore the coincidence: one of her patients has been having dreams in which he has a hunger for a child. A red-haired child he can describe in perfect detail, a child the spitting image of Matthew. She finds herself in the center of the investigation, serving as the reluctant sidekick of the chief inspector.

Drawing readers into a haunting world in which the terrors of the mind have spilled over into real life, "Blue Monday" introduces a compelling protagonist and a chilling mystery that will appeal to readers of dark crime fiction and fans of "In Treatment" and "The Killing."

This book is the first in the Frieda Klein series. Frieda is a psychotherapist with a very private life. In London, everyone is concerned with the case of a missing five-year old boy, a case that may have a connection to a similar abduction 22 years earlier. Freda starts to suspect that one of her patients, a man who has been having dreams about having a child, may be connected to the kidnapping. She ends up sucked into the investigation, helping the Chief Inspector.

I enjoyed this as much as I’ve enjoyed the other Nicci French novels I’ve read. I especially liked that the end is more open than I would have expected. The investigation goes in an unusual direction, and that kept me interested.

Other reviews:

“I always enjoy novels which accurately portray the contradictions and uncertainties inherent in human behavior and this one does that very successfully. Highly recommended.” — Fictionophile

“The plot is the thing I liked the least. Many may question how is it that a plot in a crime novel is the least important thing, but I loved getting to know Frieda, her work and her as a character.” — Bodies in the Library

]]>http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/10/2018-7-blue-monday-nicci-french/feed/0http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/10/2018-7-blue-monday-nicci-french/2018: #6 – FantasticLand (Mike Bockoven)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bookconfessions/~3/l0cchLazjFw/
http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/10/2018-6-fantasticland-mike-bockoven/#respondFri, 12 Oct 2018 18:48:37 +0000http://www.bookconfessions.com/?p=6359<img width="200" height="300" src="http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/fantasticland-200x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/fantasticland-200x300.jpg 200w, http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/fantasticland.jpg 333w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" />This book was crazy, and I&#8217;m really glad I read it *after* I went to DisneyWorld, because it would have significantly altered how I look at the park if I&#8217;d read it before&#8230; FantasticLand is a Disney/Universal-esque park near Daytona Beach, Florida, and it&#8217;s in the path of the largest, fastest moving hurricane that&#8217;s ever existed. But that&#8217;s okay, because they have an emergency plan!FantasticLand by Mike BockovenPublished bySkyhorse Publishing on October 11, 2016 Genres:horrorPages: 272

Since the 1970s, FantasticLand has been the theme park where “Fun is Guaranteed!” But when a hurricane ravages the Florida coast and isolates the park, the employees find it anything but fun. Five weeks later, the authorities who rescue the survivors encounter a scene of horror. Photos soon emerge online of heads on spikes outside of rides and viscera and human bones littering the gift shops, breaking records for hits, views, likes, clicks, and shares. How could a group of survivors, mostly teenagers, commit such terrible acts?

Presented as a fact-finding investigation and a series of first-person interviews, FantasticLand pieces together the grisly series of events. Park policy was that the mostly college-aged employees surrender their electronic devices to preserve the authenticity of the FantasticLand experience. Cut off from the world and left on their own, the teenagers soon form rival tribes who viciously compete for food, medicine, social dominance, and even human flesh. This new social network divides the ravaged dreamland into territories ruled by the Pirates, the ShopGirls, the Freaks, and the Mole People. If meticulously curated online personas can replace private identities, what takes over when those constructs are lost? FantasticLand is a modern take on Lord of the Flies meets Battle Royale that probes the consequences of a social civilization built online.

This book was crazy, and I’m really glad I read it *after* I went to DisneyWorld, because it would have significantly altered how I look at the park if I’d read it before…

FantasticLand is a Disney/Universal-esque park near Daytona Beach, Florida, and it’s in the path of the largest, fastest moving hurricane that’s ever existed. But that’s okay, because they have an emergency plan! A volunteer group of employees, most of them college-aged, will ride out the storm in an underground bunker, only to emerge and get the park back into working order as soon as possible.

At least, that was the plan. But the storm is much worse than anyone planned, and help is much slower in coming. And what happens in the wake of the storm is part Lord of the Flies, part Hunger Games, part Survivor, and entirely horrifying.

The format of the book gives it a feeling of intimacy. Each chapter is an interview with a survivor, and through their stories we try to piece together the truth of what happened in the park. I listened to the audio version of the book and found this format especially effective. The two voice actors did a really great job.

I only deduct a star because there was at least one minor plot line that I thought was extraneous. There was enough bad stuff going on without the specter of a possible serial killer hanging out there. Otherwise, this was a really solid novel, and it will forever alter how I look at theme parks and the people who work there.

Other reviews:

“Whether the violence escalation was realistic was not really my concern. I’m always a sucker for a good disaster or horror story and this book delivered. It’s not for the faint of heart. You must like your disaster stories bloody, real bloody.” — Netflix and Read

“Fantasticland has its moments, from the joking references to survivalist girl archers to the inevitable ‘Which Tribe Are You?’ Internet quizzes that pop up in the wake of the event, and of course, some gritty survival-horror that puts you in the situation and makes you think ‘What would you do?’ The problem is I just never found it believable that I would be in this situation.” — Inverarity is not a Scottish village

“Obviously, the author is someone who’s given serious thought to the effect—good and ill—“social” media has on us all, particularly those born after 1990. What happens when people in this age group are cut off from accessing the internet and expressing cyber-selves even partly at odds with who they really are?” — HellNotes

]]>http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/10/2018-6-fantasticland-mike-bockoven/feed/0http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/10/2018-6-fantasticland-mike-bockoven/2018: #5 – The Hate U Give (Angie Thomas)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bookconfessions/~3/q6WYC1RQckI/
http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/09/2018-5-the-hate-u-give-angie-thomas/#commentsThu, 27 Sep 2018 23:36:07 +0000http://www.bookconfessions.com/?p=6355<img width="199" height="300" src="http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/hateugive-199x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/hateugive-199x300.jpg 199w, http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/hateugive.jpg 331w" sizes="(max-width: 199px) 100vw, 199px" />This book is everything it promises. It&#8217;s touching and horrifying and hopeful and devastating and has important things to say, even to a middle-aged white woman like myself. Or maybe especially to a middle-aged white woman like myself. The characters feel real without being stereotypical. The situation is one that could unfold tomorrow, almost anywhere in the country. If you&#8217;ve been avoiding this book becauseThe Hate U Give by Angie ThomasPublished byBalzer + Bray on February 28, 2017 Genres:y/a contemporary, young adultPages: 444

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

This book is everything it promises. It’s touching and horrifying and hopeful and devastating and has important things to say, even to a middle-aged white woman like myself. Or maybe especially to a middle-aged white woman like myself. The characters feel real without being stereotypical. The situation is one that could unfold tomorrow, almost anywhere in the country. If you’ve been avoiding this book because you might think it’s too political, or because it’s for young adults, don’t. Pick it up tomorrow.

Other reviews:

“This book is too good to be left unread. You may think it’s a lot of mental work that you can’t bring yourself to consume, but you should. ” –Black & Bookish

“And so I got to typing…because even if they don’t love it, I’m convinced anyone who reads this book will still take something away from it.” – Nerdy Book Club

“I learnt so much from reading this and I hope this book will encourage more #ownvoices authors to write their own stories to share with the world.” – the sprinkled pages

]]>http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/09/2018-5-the-hate-u-give-angie-thomas/feed/1http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/09/2018-5-the-hate-u-give-angie-thomas/2018: #4 – Radio Free Vermont (Bill McKibben)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bookconfessions/~3/XD7ZJbKXNf8/
http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/09/2018-4-radio-free-vermont-bill-mckibben/#respondThu, 27 Sep 2018 00:03:19 +0000http://www.bookconfessions.com/?p=6348<img width="200" height="300" src="http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/radiofreevermont-200x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/radiofreevermont-200x300.jpg 200w, http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/radiofreevermont.jpg 333w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" />I&#8217;ve had a hard time deciding what to say about this book! I enjoyed it, but I don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s really a fable. I feel like a fable should contain more metaphor, and this story felt like something that could actually happen, though slightly exaggerated. Radio Free Vermont is the story of Vern Barclay, a 72 year old radio personality who accidentally finds himself leadingRadio Free Vermont: A Fable of Resistance by Bill McKibbenPublished byBlue Rider Press on November 6, 2018 Genres:comedic fictionPages: 240

"I hope no one secedes, but I also hope that Americans figure out creative ways to resist injustice and create communities where everybody counts. We've got a long history of resistance in Vermont and this book is testimony to that fact." -Bernie Sanders

A book that's also the beginning of a movement, Bill McKibben's debut novel Radio Free Vermont follows a band of Vermont patriots who decide that their state might be better off as its own republic.

As the host of Radio Free Vermont--"underground, underpowered, and underfoot"--seventy-two-year-old Vern Barclay is currently broadcasting from an "undisclosed and double-secret location." With the help of a young computer prodigy named Perry Alterson, Vern uses his radio show to advocate for a simple yet radical idea: an independent Vermont, one where the state secedes from the United States and operates under a free local economy. But for now, he and his radio show must remain untraceable, because in addition to being a lifelong Vermonter and concerned citizen, Vern Barclay is also a fugitive from the law.

In Radio Free Vermont, Bill McKibben entertains and expands upon an idea that's become more popular than ever--seceding from the United States. Along with Vern and Perry, McKibben imagines an eccentric group of activists who carry out their own version of guerilla warfare, which includes dismissing local middle school children early in honor of 'Ethan Allen Day' and hijacking a Coors Light truck and replacing the stock with local brew. Witty, biting, and terrifyingly timely, Radio Free Vermont is Bill McKibben's fictional response to the burgeoning resistance movement.

I’ve had a hard time deciding what to say about this book! I enjoyed it, but I don’t think it’s really a fable. I feel like a fable should contain more metaphor, and this story felt like something that could actually happen, though slightly exaggerated.

Radio Free Vermont is the story of Vern Barclay, a 72 year old radio personality who accidentally finds himself leading a secessionist movement (after a misguided prank at the brand new Walmart), including a pirate radio station that communicates their ideas to the people of Vermont. Vern and his compatriot Perry are hiding out at the house of his friend Sylvia, a firefighter who runs a class for new Vermonters. Along the way they also draw the support and help of Trace, an Olympic biathlete that Vern once coached. Vern, Perry, and the rest of the crew find themselves in much deeper than they ever imagined as the authorities close in. Can they reach their end game in time?

I thought this book hit all the right humor notes, and he really captured the spirit of Vermont.

]]>http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/09/2018-4-radio-free-vermont-bill-mckibben/feed/0http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/09/2018-4-radio-free-vermont-bill-mckibben/2018: #3 – One Dark Throne (Kendare Blake)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bookconfessions/~3/_w259ueE32o/
http://www.bookconfessions.com/2018/08/2018-3-one-dark-throne-kendare-blake/#respondFri, 17 Aug 2018 21:23:44 +0000http://www.bookconfessions.com/?p=6302<img width="203" height="300" src="http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/onedarkthrone-203x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" srcset="http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/onedarkthrone-203x300.jpg 203w, http://www.bookconfessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/onedarkthrone.jpg 337w" sizes="(max-width: 203px) 100vw, 203px" />I thought the first book in this series was dark, but somehow this one got darker. Our three triplet queens are now in their Ascension year, and are actively trying to kill each other to be the one remaining Queen to rule them all. Well, mostly Katharine is trying to kill everyone. Mirabella and Arsinoe are very much in &#8220;can&#8217;t we all get along andOne Dark Throne by Kendare BlakeSeries:Three Dark Crowns #02Published byHarperTeen on September 19th 2017 Genres:y/a fantasy, young adultPages: 464 Also by this author:Three Dark CrownsAlso in this series:Three Dark Crowns

The battle for the crown has begun, but which of the three sisters will prevail?

With the unforgettable events of the Quickening behind them and the Ascension Year underway, all bets are off. Katharine, once the weak and feeble sister, is stronger than ever before. Arsinoe, after discovering the truth about her powers, must figure out how to make her secret talent work in her favor without anyone finding out. And Mirabella, the elemental sister once thought to be the certain Queen Crowned, faces attacks like never before—ones that put those around her in danger she can’t seem to prevent.

Fennbirn’s deadliest queens must confront the one thing standing in their way of the crown: each other.

I thought the first book in this series was dark, but somehow this one got darker. Our three triplet queens are now in their Ascension year, and are actively trying to kill each other to be the one remaining Queen to rule them all.

Well, mostly Katharine is trying to kill everyone. Mirabella and Arsinoe are very much in “can’t we all get along and not do this whole killing thing?” territory. And after the events at the end of the first book, Katharine is certifiably off her rocker in this book. Not even her family really understands what she is doing. Mirabella is just keep on keepin’ on, and Arsinoe is wondering what the heck her powers actually are.

After the sometimes slow buildup of the first book, this one is non-stop action. Katharine’s murderous rampage is probably the most entertaining part, but I did enjoy some of the political machinations that are happening behind the scenes. By the end, you think things are going one way, and then everything gets turned on its head. And everyone important is still alive!

I really enjoyed this book, and I will definitely be continuing this series!

Side note: I listened to the audiobook (it’s been SO LONG since I listened to an audiobook), and apparently “Arsinoe” is not at all pronounced like I expected. I eventually got used to it, but it threw me the first several times I heard it.

Other reviews:

“Revelations, betrayals and discoveries provided quite a few twists and turns along the way and, once again, there was an ending that leaves you on the edge of your seat waiting impatiently for the next installment.” – Book Reviews by Di

“I LOVED ONE DARK THRONE. It was a well written, fast paced, dark magical adventure and one of the best fantasies I’ve read all year. 4.5 stars.” – A Thousand Words, A Million Books

“So much happens in this precious sequel. There is a lot of death. There is a lot of poison. A lot of hurt people. There is a big hunt, which broke my heart, yet was so amazing to read about.” – Carina’s Books